Yes, it is a bit time consuming to type up these procedures with enough detail for them to be truly useful, but in the long run you will be glad you took the time. Not only will your company benefit from this resource but your own work will be done with a greater efficiency.

Foldfactory.com has a great FOLD resource titled 60-second Super-cool FOLD of the WEEK. Have fun folding!

The reason why I have described Prezi as the antithesis of PowerPoint, is because the tools that are provided are incredibly simple and limited. This constraint, I believe, prevents non-designers from creating a visual disaster. I would predict that the average user has a 90% chance of creating a good presentation, were as with PowerPoint, I would estimate the average user has a 90% chance of creating something awful.

Within these very tight constraints, a designer can open up infinite creative possibilities using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. When I say “infinite” I am referring specifically to creativity—Prezi is light like a motorcycle not heavy like a tank. In my limited experience with Prezi it seemed important to keep the file sizes small—I wouldn’t recommend using it for a large slide shows that use hundreds of hi-res images. So don’t worry PowerPoint and Keynote (not that you would) Prezi will not create a revolution and replace either of you.

My experience with Prezi was like a breath of fresh air, although it did take some getting use to—it is an unusual environment to work in—but once you get the hang of it, it is fun.

I did learn a few things during this brief experience that I will do differently when creating another Prezi. I created an abundant amount of custom graphics with embedded text. This became cumbersome when edits were made by the client to the text. I would have to make the text edits in Illustrator or Photoshop, then export the files, then import and replace them in Prezi. I couldn’t simply update my links. Next time I will try and rely more on the text tool in Prezi for areas that have more text, in this case it was Q&A.

Another issue arose when I realized the speed of my computer was a great hinderance. Since Prezi is Flash based—how fast you move within the environment is dependent on how fast your computer can view complex Flash movies.

Overall my experience with Prezi was fun and refreshing—I encourage everyone to at least give it a try—I doubt you will be disappointed.

Below I have included 2 videos that explain how Prezi works.

If you are having difficulty selecting a font, try the Periodic Table of Typefaces. This is an excellence resource that can help the expert or novice typographer in selecting a typeface for a given project.

For the novice there are a few more consideration that are necessary:

First, let us clarify the difference between the words, font and typeface. Typeface refers to a “family” or a group of letters that have the same style, for instance: Arial, Helvetica, Times, or Garamond. Font refers to the more specific description within a typeface such as Bold, Italics, Roman, or Oblique.

Next, consider how your audience will read composition. If it is running text or paragraphs on a printed page, try not to get fancy, be considerate of the reader, oldstyle typefaces such as Times, Garamond, and Caslon will be you best choice. They are the easiest to read for running text. When someone is reading running text, the mind sees each word as one image, that is why one can read through a paragraph quickly. It is the shape of the word that your mind sees, not the individual letters. This shape is primarily defined by the ascenders (e.g. the line of the lowercase “d”) and descenders (e.g. the line of a lowercase “p”). When you use “all caps” you have destroyed the one word image, and the mind must slow down and decipher each letter. The moral of the story: never use all caps in a paragraph.

The vast majority of typefaces are designed for titles. This is because titles have few words in them, so fancy letters can be read because your mind can slowly evaluate the information in each individual letter, and differentiate them by their characteristics. This is also why it is acceptable to use all-caps in a title, since your mind can take a moment to decipher the information letter by letter.

My constraint of choice is the “cube” or as some refer to as the cubicle. At first look, the “Freedom” of the free-lance would seem a far superior choice to the graphic artist. The free-lance has the freedom to create a work environment that reflects all that is conducive to creative thinking—choice furniture, quiet music, and few interruptions. Although the cube may not possess the environmental qualities that promote creativity to its fullest, I will argue that the constraint of the cube does provide for high-quality work that is better suited to the client. Design, by definition, is problem solving, and—boy—do you have to problem solve in the cube. The tempo is fast, interruptions are commonplace, and the workload is intense—what better environment to force a designer to create efficient and effective systems that allow for good, consistent solutions. It is working within these systems that excellent work can be created. Rarely is the work clever or cerebral, but occasionally, when it is called for, it can be. That is the point, as graphic artists, our work should be a result of our clients wants and needs—which less often calls for a dramatic creativity, and more often calls for solid, consistent, and successful design. This might be a stretch—but I will liken it to Vermeer rather than Picasso.

Beyond the constraint of the cube, as an in-house graphic designer working for an AMC, I have the added benefit of possessing a pre-developed understanding of each client and their needs. Being on the “inside” I develop an understanding of each client that could never be attained from the “outside”. Also, by superseding the “getting to know you” steps, efficiency is dramatically increased.

Great design doesn’t need unlimited budgets or tons of man-hours. The constraint of the Cube can help the graphic artist produce work that is effective and efficient, and over the long haul, develops a certain client trust that can lead to a deeper relationship and greater success.